


The long road continues

by space4208



Series: Keeping up with the Ragnarsons [1]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alpha Bjorn, Alpha Heahmund, Alpha Ubbe, Alpha siggy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beta Hvitserk, Beta Sigurd, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mentioned past rape/non-con, Multi, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Omega Ivar, Past Rape/Non-con, Siggy lives, The major character death is only for the characters that died in the show, also astrid because her death was lame and mostly pointless, astrid lives, cus they deserved at least meaningful deaths, except for siggy and halfdan, guess who got really attached to an abandoned work, halfdan lives, my city now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 07:23:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16300625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space4208/pseuds/space4208





	The long road continues

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Long Road](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377696) by [QueenPeace0](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenPeace0/pseuds/QueenPeace0). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who got really attached to an abandon fic? So originally I was going to make the just a continuation of A long road by QueenPeace0 but then I started to actually plan it out and realized that I had a lot of stuff that I wanted to do with this fic. So I decided that I was just going to do what I wanted and pretty much I just cut out the one part in the original fic with Astrid in chapter 5 and also since I don't actually know the timeline of the original fic and how it fits with the show's timeline some things might technically not have happened in the first chapters of this fic that have already happened in the source material. With that in mind I am still really pleased with this work and hope others enjoy it as much as I do!

"Tonight is a full moon, is it not?" Ivar said his eyes flash to Astrid before meeting Harold's "we will attack in two moons time."

* * *

 "How can you be so sure she will be able to reach Lagertha?" Heahmund asked when the two had returned to Ivar's quarters sometime long into the evening, when Ivar had grown tired of the feast that harold had thrown to celebrate their alliance. Hvitserk who Heahmund had lost track of at some point in the evening was who knows where but likely not alone if his tales were to be believed. Ivar as Heahmund noted was none to concerned where his brother had gone and even with their relationship strained as it is Heahmund doubted that were Hvitserk in any real danger the omega would have at least have kept tabs on him. As it was Heahmund was trying to piece together who it was that he needed to watch. King Harold was an alpha, obvious with his intentions and ambitions. The beta Hvitserk was in constant flux of who and what he believed in but lacked the ambition and tact to be any real threat. Astrid, the omega queen seemed to know more than she would like others to think and is more ambitious than she appears. And then there was Ivar who was never what he seemed, always thinking three steps ahead ever contrary with more ambition and fury than that of most alphas.

It would seem however with all his patience even he could not hold his appearance forever. All eyes had been on him and Harold during the feast, the omega prince and the alpha king with eyes for Kattegat and Ivar was determined to show no weakness. He would not allow this alliance to weaken his men's support of him. Back in his quarters however Ivar looked much more relaxed than he had at the feast, Heahmund had to wonder what Ivar thought of him if he did not think he needed to keep up his act with only him there. The room was well kept plain but no less fine than to be expected for a guest of high standing, there was a large bed to one side of the room obviously for Ivar the other side of the room held a small cot which as Heahmund understood Ivar had requested to be brought in for Heahmund. the center of the room held a small table for two towards the wall and a fire pit in the middle for heat. Ivar who was now sitting on his bed beginning to remove his armor looked up to where Heahmund was standing.

"So sure about who reaching Lagertha, Bishop Heahmund?"Ivar's mouth curled into a mischievous smile.

"That woman, Queen Astrid." Heahmund met Ivar's eyes. "You do not trust her that much is clear to me, you know she will betray you. So I ask how can you be so sure that your plans will reach Lagertha? As I cannot imagine you would reveal your plans to an enemy so easily, I can assume that you want them to know ." Ivar had looked down to begin removing the braces on his legs but returned to Heahmund when he paused. "If Astrid is as you say Lagertha's lover she would want to inform Lagertha unless you expect she would try to strike by herself." Ivar seemed to be deriving great joy from listening to Heahmund try to figure our what his plan was but seemed to take mercy on him just this once.

"Ah Heahmund, if you must know anything know that Astrid is no fool. She will not strike because she knows that it would not save her dear Lagertha, we would still come for her.As for how word will reach Lagertha..." Ivar's grin deepened "Who's to say? But know this it will reach her and that Bishop Heahmund is the important part yes?" Ivar tilted his head clearly having fun with this before prying the braces off his legs.

Heahmund who was both disinterested it what happens to these people and yet curious, as if even if he doesn't care for the people involved he still had to know what would happen and who will win, approached Ivar. "So Ivar what is it you think Lagertha will do when she receives this plan?"

"If she's smart, prepare."

"And if she's not?"

"She is." Ivar insisted "And that my Bishop will be why we'll win."

Ivar let Heahmund think on that for a few moments before he pulled himself off the bed and crawled over to the table in the center of the room. A game board sat in the middle of the table set to play what Heahmund was certian was some viking version of chess. Ivar who had pulled himself onto one of the chairs spread his arms forward as he motioned to the board.

"Play a game with me Bishop" Ivar asked his smirk back in full force.

"I don't know the rules."

"Then I will teach you, come sit with me."

* * *

 It had to have been hours since they had started. The rules as it was were far more simple than chess and yet to actually win the game? Now that was far harder. The game required much more strategy than chess but that made it far more rewarding, it was exciting and each move was important. One misstep and the game was lost, Heahmund could see why Ivar seemed to favor this game.

However for all the thought it took to play the game Heahmund found it was far too easy to get destracted from it. Ivar would fill the silences between moves with talk and even the most unassuming subjects were still a test and each answer hundreds of meanings unspoken, it was as if playing two deadly games at once and neither side was willing to give the other an inch. Heahmund was not sure what answers Ivar was looking for or if he would even be able to find them but for each question the Bishop answered, Ivar would reveal just a little more information. Whether it was about Ivar, his brothers, their culture, or even just his thoughts, the more Ivar spoke the more Heahmund wanted to hear.

Never before did Heahmund have anyone who he had been so curious about, who's every word seemed to make his blood burn to hear more. Ivar was a puzzle inside a puzzle that Heahmund had to fight to get the pieces before he could even begin to put it together. The challenge was water and Heahmund a man at deaths door, he would not lose.

"Why did you really spare me Ivar?"

 "I have told you Bishop Heahmund" Ivar moved his piece then looked at Heahmund "You are a great warrior."Heahmund held Ivar's stare.

"You have many great warriors and so do your enemies, What is one warrior to the hundreds you already have?" Ivar's face darkened slightly as he sat up further in his chair, half leaning over the table as he moved closer to Heahmund.

"So should I have killed you in York Bishop Heahmund?" The way Ivar pronounced his title sparked something in Heahmund that he couldn't place. The atmosphere in the room seemed to thicken, as if even the air knew the danger of the omega. Heahmund knew if he valued his life he should tread lightly but even knowing the danger of being on the wrong end of the viking prince's anger, Heahmund felt no fear of Ivar. It was not that Ivar couldn't harm him it was that Heahmund did not think he would, not when Ivar still had plans for him. Heahmund would not back down.

"Perhaps. You know as well as I it is not another warrior that you need. So why am I here Ivar?"

Ivar smiled small and twisted, the air lightened slightly but still full of danger. "Why is it do you think you are here Bishop? So far from your God and your people?"Heahmund leaned over from where he sat his face only inches from Ivar's, close enough he could feel Ivar's breath on his lips as he spoke.

"No man can know the will of God, but yours Ivar the Boneless? I think that not even you know fully why you spared my life. I think that you know no one else here can match your mind, that you are tired of men barreling forward with no thought for whats in front of them, I think that you want someone who can keep up with you, who you do not have to explain to your every action for them to understand what you plan, I think that you want an equal to stand at your side."

"And do you think I will find what I am looking for Bishop?" Ivar's tone was even but his eyes danced with mirth, even now it was a game between the two and Ivar so desperately wanted to know how it would end.

Heahmund who was studying Ivar's face snorted and broke their stare leaning back in his chair as Ivar did the same. He smiled amusement written across his face.

"I think Ivar," Heahmund met Ivar's eyes " it depends a great deal on who you turn out to be under all these masks and riddles you hide behind."

"And wouldn't you like to know Heahmund, wouldn't you like to know." Ivar smiled before he pushed himself off the chair.

"Goodnight Bishop Heahmund." Ivar said before pulling himself into his bed. Heahmund went to his bed on the other side of the room. It was not by any means fine more of a small cot than a bed but it was better than the floor he had slept on at York. He turned to look at Ivar who was facing away from him, clearly not asleep but not about to continue their talk. There was a deep warmth in his chest as he looked at Ivar wrapped in furs and all tension in his body gone.

"Goodnight Ivar."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the game that Ivar and Heahmund are playing in this chapter is called Tafl (specifically Hnefatafl no I don't know how to pronounce that) its the game they're seen playing in the show if anyone else was interested since I thought it was really cool but didn't want to break up the chapter with actually having Ivar explain it. It's a lot like chess in the sense that it has similar movements and objectives but its soooooo much harder to win than in chess because there are two sets the attackers and the defenders and the attackers have twice the amount of pieces than the defenders. One person would play as the defenders their goal is to get their king to safety by reaching the outside of the board. The attackers who as I mentioned have twice the amount of pieces their goal is to capture the king. All pieces can move like rooks do in chess and to capture a piece you need to have two pieces placed on opposite sides of another piece (either vertically or horizontally as diagonally doesn't count). Based on which kind of Tafl you play it can have different rules but that's the basics.


End file.
